How derby masterclasses provide stark Rangers contrast

[BBC] Probably the last thing Derek McInnes would have wanted right now was a three-week hiatus between games. Momentum is a massive factor in football and Rangers had begun to build up plenty of it following back-to-back victories over Celtic, the second of which put them just two points behind their fierce rivals at the top of the Premiership. Now, with the international break upon us, McInnes will lose several players from training for the best part of a fortnight and he will hope the squad is able to pick up where it left off when it regroups before the home game against Kilmarnock on 10 October. It gives McInnes plenty of opportunity to reflect on what has begun to work for his side. The two masterclasses against Celtic were, by some distance, their most impressive performances under the new manager. He will know, though, they are far from the finished article and McInnes was rightly at pains to point out Sunday's win at Celtic Park ultimately yielded only three points in a campaign that is sure to have numerous twists and turns before any silverware is dished out. But equally, he acknowledged how important those three points were. Had the game gone the other way, an eight-point lead for Celtic would have looked daunting and any feelgood factor engendered by the previous weekend's League Cup triumph would have all but evaporated. Instead, Rangers know they will go top of the table by beating Kilmarnock in their next game, with Celtic on a three-match losing streak and facing a trip to Motherwell the following day. This is all in stark contrast to the scenario just a few weeks ago and McInnes deserves a lot of credit for turning things round. His side has gone from a team that looked uncoached to one that knows its individual roles inside out and collectively looks hungry and sharp. There is clearly still work to be done before supporters can get too carried away, but there are certainly signs of better things to come.